Left hanging

Frederic Joy

Thunderheads crowd the Teton range as they do on many a summer afternoon. But on July 26, the clouds' fury caught a group of Idaho hikers by surprise. In the end, a woman was dead and another in her group was seriously injured and dangling perilously from his rope.

Thunderheads crowd the Teton range as they do on many a summer afternoon. But on July 26, the clouds' fury caught a group of Idaho hikers by surprise. In the end, a woman was dead and another in her group was seriously injured and dangling perilously from his rope. (Frederic Joy)

Park rangers prepare to descend to Rodrigo Liberal, a climber dangling by a rope and unable to help himself due to burns sustained by a lightning strike. The same strike killed Erica Summers, a fellow climber, a short distance away.

Park rangers prepare to descend to Rodrigo Liberal, a climber dangling by a rope and unable to help himself due to burns sustained by a lightning strike. The same strike killed Erica Summers, a fellow climber, a short distance away. (Leo L. Larson / National Park Service)

Ranger Leo Larson was pushing papers in a National Park Service cabin when the high-alert beacon sounded. Lightning had crashed into 13 young climbers on Grand Teton. Rescue hinged on outracing the setting sun.